Drake Maye passed for 309 yards and two touchdowns, leading the North Carolina to a 27-24 win over host Miami in an ACC duel on Saturday afternoon.
Maye, intercepted twice, completed 19 of 28 passes to lead UNC (5-1, 2-0 ACC). The Heels have won four straight games against the Canes.
Miami (2-3, 0-1), which has lost three straight games, was led by Tyler Van Dyke, who completed 42 of 57 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns. He was not intercepted until Miami’s final offensive snap.
The Canes also got eight catches and 119 yards from tight end Will Mallory.
UNC raced to a 21-7 lead with 1:31 left in the second quarter. The Heels’ first two touchdowns came on drives of 95 and 99 yards, respectively.
It started with a 74-yard pass from Maye to J.J. Jones, who got behind a busted coverage on a third-and-3 play.
Maye then threw deep down the middle of the field for a 52-yard completion to Antoine Green to the Miami 2-yard line. From there, Omarion Hampton broke through for a stellar TD run and a 14-0 lead.
Miami got on the board on Van Dyke’s bullet throw to Key’Shawn Smith, who scored on a 20-yard slant with 5:50 left in the second quarter.
UNC answered with Maye’s 15-yard flip to Josh Downs for a 21-7 advantage.
Miami then drove 72 yards on nine plays in just 63 seconds. All the positive plays on the drive were passes, including Van Dyke’s 7-yard TD throw to Henry Parrish Jr.
After Keontra Smith intercepted Maye, Miami drove 29 yards in 21 seconds. On the final play of the second quarter, Andres Borregales booted a 38-yard field goal to cut UNC’s lead to 21-17.
The second half started with Miami safety Kamren Kinchens’ interception, UNC stopping the Canes on fourth-and-3 near midfield and the Heels taking a 24-17 lead on Noah Burnette’s 38-yard field goal.
Miami was in position to tie the score with 12:31 left in the fourth quarter, but Jaylan Knighton fumbled on a third-down run. Cedric Gray forced the fumble, recovered by Gio Biggers at the UNC 17.
UNC drove and turned that into a 19-yard Burnette field goal and a 27-17 lead.
Miami cut its deficit to 27-24 on Van Dyke’s 16-yard TD pass to Colbie Young.
The Canes seemed to recover the ensuing on-sides kick, but Miami’s Al Blades Jr. was ruled out of bounds as he batted the ball.
–Field Level Media
